Casa 0101

CASA 0101 is dedicated to providing vital arts, cultural, and educational programs -- in theater, digital filmmaking, art and dance -- to Boyle Heights, thereby nurturing the future storytellers of Los Angeles who will someday transform the world.

Casa 0101 was founded in 2000 by playwright Josefina Lopez, to give back to the community where she came from. She lamented the scarce opportunities to participate or witness the arts growing up in Boyle Heights. After earning her masters from UCLA in Screenwriting, she used part of her student loans to transform a formal bridal shop into an art space and theater.
Recently, on the Casa 0101 stage was An LA Journey, the story of Lorenzo, an indigenous K'iche boy from Guatemala, who was orphaned and on his own since the age of 8. His journey has been remarkable and highlights the hardships of undocumented peoples and their reasons for migrating.

In collaboration with the Building Healthy Communities prevention workgroup, Casa 0101 promotes the My Health LA program, a county initiative that provides health services to undocumented individuals who not quality for Medi-Cal or Covered California and meet the income requirements. As a cultural treasure in Boyle Heights, Casa 0101, has established itself as a trust center and prioritizes working within and for, the community by advocating for access to comprehensive health care services for all, regardless of immigration status, through the My Health LA program. My Health LA is especially important for the Boyle Heights due to our prominent population.

In addition to advocacy efforts, Casa 0101 has also created a play, A Cat Named Mercy, which dealt with the trauma of not having access to health care in the pre-Affordable Care Act days. As an arts organization, Casa 0101 is helping to remove the stigma of seeking help for health problems and educating residents about opportunities that exist, such as My Health LA, through the performing arts.

At Casa 0101, the intersections between health and the arts, plays a central role within the organization. The arts not only help individuals express themselves, but also heal traumatic experiences. Additionally, the arts are central to creating community by creating common narratives within the neighborhood. Healthy communities always have strong arts resources, in addition to access to basic resources such as health care coverage, safe neighborhoods and homes. Casa 0101 is helping bridge that gap through the Building Healthy Communities collaborative, along other networks.